Football season brings an endless stream of bright, shiny objects, with the next game (and the next game and the next game) naturally taking the steam out of any and all controversies.
One very important controversy continues to linger for the Ravens, who committed a rare — and blatant — violation of the injury report policy by listing quarterback Lamar Jackson as a “full” participant in last Friday’s practice when the rule clearly required him to be listed as “limited.”
Last night, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that the NFL’s review of the situation is “ongoing,” confirming that the available punishment includes “heavy fines” and the potential loss of draft picks.
The violation was obvious; it would be highly unlikely for the Ravens to avoid any sanction for sending the unmistakable message that Jackson was preparing to play on Sunday against the Bears, when the truth was that Tyler Huntley was getting the start.
The biggest question is whether the league will view the violation as “willful.” The policy states that, if the Ravens made a “calculated decision to risk the possible penalties” for violating the policy by regarding them as “an acceptable cost of attempting to gain an unfair competitive advantage,” the discipline will be enhanced.
Despite coach John Harbaugh’s insistence that it was an “honest mistake” (he also said he doesn’t “know those particular rules,” which makes it hard to know whether it was an “honest mistake”), those who understand how the NFL works realized immediately what the Ravens were trying to do. They wanted the Bears to think Jackson would be starting the game, even though the Ravens knew it would be Huntley.
It wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t an accident. And if the league investigates the situation with only a fraction of the zeal that was unleashed on the Patriots regarding the inflation of footballs after a 2014 playoff game, the NFL will likely find a smoking-gun text message or two that proves, conclusively, that the Ravens were sufficiently desperate for a win to throw caution to the wind as to the cost of doing business that would come from an eventual parking-ticket fine for taking liberties with the rules.
Then again, what other proof is needed? The circumstances speak for themselves. And the timing couldn’t have been worse.
So what will the NFL do? Will they make an example out of the Ravens? Will they make an excuse for the Ravens? Even as more and more games roll down the assembly line, with more and more stories and controversies and things to distract us happening, it’s important to monitor how the league handles this one.
Read the full article here
